A photographer's view of the world – words and images to inspire your travels and your dreams

April 7, 2017April 1, 2018

Shabaka

The Khan Palaces in Sheki feature stunning examples of stained glass windows. These shabaka (or shebeke) were made without glue or nails, using coloured glass brought in from Murano. Apparently the Khan issued instructions that such windows were not to be created elsewhere.

Stained glass in the Khan’s Winter Palace, Sheki,

Photos are not allowed in the main Khan Sarayi, but in the smaller winter palace you can buy a photography licence. This palace has been renovated recently and the windows have been carefully recreated.

In the image above you will see a difference in shades between left and right. The top panes that contain magenta pieces (more purple to my eyes at the time) contain old glass from Murano, whereas the others contain modern glass. They used slightly different colours so that it easy to distinguish new from old.

Hex colour reference: f664af

A colourful note: Magenta has been a Crayola crayon since their origins in 1903.

The word came into use as a colour term after the Battle of Magenta in Italy, where the French and Sardinians defeated the Austrians in 1859. The brilliant crimson aniline dye was discovered shortly after the battle and the city’s military prominence prompted the name.

But the word is not entirely war-related: the colour magenta is now used to symbolize anti-racism by the Amsterdam-based anti-racism Magenta Foundation.